Lenco plinth project

[soulminer]

I am assuming this is where we can continue the idle drive vs DD vs belt drive turntable discussion ?? How are everyone's Lenco/Garrard/DD projects going ??

[andrew ivimey]

Still going, my plinth is four layers of 17 mm birch ply with two, one the base board of 17mm MDF. I am glueing tehbottom bits together with pva. The top two are glued but will be screwed into whatever is beneath them, so I could add moe layers of rubber, vinyl, guacamole, mashed banana root etc etc

All these bits need sanding smooth and then teak oil.

Drilling the arm hole out is a big task of course. I still haven't decided what to do.

So, still going.

By the way there is a Lenco deck going for about £12 on ebay at the mo' - interest ???

[NealG]

I introduced my Lenco into my main system for the first time today. Still waiting for a decent MC, working on getting a new Rondo.

It has been interesting, I think I can see where Lee and others are coming from, there is something musical about the presentation and yes it does drive Bass lines along very well.

So far I have found it likes certain music, Jazz especially. Piano has a nice rich tone, there seems to be more depth about it that I have to admit is more of a convincing presentation than the Gyro. Other areas and this could be down to arm/cart/plinth etc are not so good. The Gyro has more detail and air and brings small percussive detail to the fore, little things that just make the listening more enjoyable, there is also greater width and depth and ambience but as I said it's not apples to apples comparison.

I feel there is potential and the cart and plinth will get looked at over the next few weeks, one thing though, I have not heard my OL modded RB250 sound this good. On the Gyro it always sounded conjested and lacking air, not now!

And then I have the SL120 to try, oh what fun!!

[soulminer]

Originally Posted by NealG

The Gyro has more detail and air and brings small percussive detail to the fore...

The GyrOrbe does dig out more detail, and I stated that I thought this was happening in the original thread Neal. You may get better results with a different (read solid) plinth and maybe a seperate, decoupled armboard. This decoupled, seperate armboard is the next move for my '88'. Just busy listening to it for now though, and getting used to the sound it makes as it is before making any further adjustments/mods. I think this is important so that you know exactly what each change brings to the party. Have fun !!

[andrew ivimey]

Neal, I couldn't get my rb250 to track properly according to HiFiNews test record for the obvious reasons.

With a crappy MM cartridge it still sounds magnificent though.

Did you cut your deck to fit the rb250 or using a new arm?

I'd still love to try a Hadcock like Nick's a) because it is a brilliant arm and b) no drilling,cutting, filing & bleeding needed.

So arm wise thing sare still up in the air even though I'll finish the plinth tomorrow if I have time.

[Greg.]

I notice that Johnnantais has not yet joined this forum. Lee or Bizzie, you might like to prompt him here. It would then be fair for him to post his challenge to things I've said before and I will be able to respond directly. It would however be good if we don't have a Vicky Pollard style rant as he previously posted through Bizzie elsewhere. Let's keep to constructive discussion. I am however happy to answer the objections he raised to my previous communications on this topic, and that would include an apology for misrepresenting him, and I'd do so with respect.

Best wishes,

Greg

[NealG]

Ugh! Head ache is slowly clearing after last night!

Yesterday afternoon, I firmly screwed down the MDF gasket I had made and also the '99 to the plinth. I lost all my Bass! The sound was flat as a pancake! I went away to party and think.

Today with a slowly clearing hangover I have loosened off the '99 mounting screws and the gasket wood screws so they are just nipped up, not loose and not overbearingly tight.

I'm sort of in shock!

Not only has the Bass returned it's come back in a major way. The Cart is a Reson Reca into a modded Rotel RQ970BX. IT SHOULD NOT SOUND LIKE THIS!

I have discovered new detail and depth, one track Lets Dance - Chris Rea has a deep Bass guitar playing towards the end that I did not know existed, well to be fair, yes I did but it was always hidden, lurking in the background and I never paid any attention to it, not now. It's unmistakable, clear and detailed. The cymbals stand out now with real texture, it sounds like the drummer is playing a real instrument and not hitting an upside down pot with a stick!

On Paul Simon's Boy in the Bubble, there is a line

...the boy in the bubble,
and the baby with the baboon heart....

that has a reverb to it, my LP12 always used to miss this detail glossing over it. The Gyro captured it pretty well I thought. This '99 setup clearly details it and presents it in a much more vivid way. In fact the whole album has taken on a new life to my ears, as I said I'm sort of in shock.

I still have the cart to sort out, plinth, use my SME 309 and put it all through the WAD phonoII

Actually I must do a proper head to head with the Gyro to see if it's just 'new year' euphoria.

[NickG]

I have never had a Gyro so I can't compare to that, but thats just about the level of difference I found from the LP12, FWIW I found the same amount of difference again going to the Hadcock.

Can I just remind you Neal, your response on the old BB to my version of your post was to ask me if my LP12 needed setting up again ;-).

[Paul Barker]

They're on about DD turntables at Joenet at the moment.

Seems they don't rate our Lenco drives, bunch of snobs.

I'm only talking to see what an Avatar is.

Just playing with the forum..

Oh so that's the avatar at the top?

[NickG]

Yes Paul, i was considering posting something, but I thought better of it, I does show how opinions things become reality. I will admit to there may be some rumble from the Lenco I am using, but I don't know if it is the Lenco or the records, some have more than others, some have almost none at all (both ECM pressings as it happens).

I think I must make a late new years resolution not to talk about the sound of things I haven't heard myself.